Deputy arrests Mercedes man accused of dragging cow with truck

A deputy says he saw 64-year-old Eliseo Molina Mendez of Mercedes dragging a cow with his truck on Saturday, according to a criminal complaint. (Photo courtesy of the Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office)

A 64-year-old Mercedes man was arrested last weekend after a deputy says he saw the man dragging a cow with his truck, according to a criminal complaint.

On Saturday, a Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office deputy was dispatched east of Farm-to-Market Road 1015 on Mile 112 in Mercedes in reference to reports of a red pick up truck dragging a cow, according to the criminal complaint.

Upon arrival, the deputy says he saw a cow being dragged, and noticed the cow had "major lacerations to the right side abdominal area," according to the criminal complaint.

The deputy arrested the driver, identified as 64-year-old Eliseo Molina Mendez of Mercedes, for cruelty to livestock animals, a state jail felony.

A justice of the peace set Mendez's bond at $7,500.

Mendez was released from the Hidalgo County jail on Monday and couldn't be reached for comment.